Can lifter



J. J. SMITH CAN LIFTER Dec. 1, 1931.

Filed May 8, 1930 g INVENTOR. da/zrealmz'f/r rziz &

A TTORNEY.

Patented Decal, 1931 v James m sivn'rn, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

can LIFTER .Applicationiiled'l lay s,1930. Serial 110350511.

The present invention relates to lifting devices and more particularly to a utensil for lifting, carrying and the general handling of ice cream cans.

In the ice cream business as car'riedon at the present time it is customaryto deliver ice cream to dealers and dlspensers 1n cyllndrlcal metal cans, each of one gallon or'more capacity which are placed in refrigerator cabinets to preserve the contents in frozen condition. When the cans are in place inthe cabinet it is quite diflicult to remove and replace individual cans. and is as well an awkward operation because of the restricted space and the smooth, round contour of the'cans. Various implements have been devised to serve as a lifting means but for one reason or another have proved ineflicient and unsatisfactory. 1

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide an improved hand lifter for 'cans; to provide a can lifter wherein provision is made for mechanically gripping a can so that it is impossible for the can to drop or be accidentally released; to provide a can lifter which is operative in a minimum space to secure a lifting hold upon a can; to provide a can lifter wherein a can can be lifted without throwing the center of gravity of the can out of the vertical axis of the can; to provide a can lifter wherein provision is made for easily removing the top of a can; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a can lifter embodying one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 represents a plan of the same; Fig. 3 represents a section of line 3.3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents a section online 4+4: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 represents a side elevation showing the lifter holding a can suspended; and Fig.

11 turned in the same direction to provide a generally channel shaped member. As will be seen from Fig. 3 the back or grasping portion 12 of the body has a generally arc-shape which eliminates sharp angles and makes the device easy to handle. The ends of the side channels are also curved or rounded for-the W same purpose. a

'For the purposeof grasping the side'of a can so that the same can be lifted vertically or held suspended the body 10 is provided with a downwardlyextending jaw 13 which preferably tapers toward itsend and'when the handle portion-of the body is horizontal this jaw member is disposed at an angle to the vertical with itsfree end spaced from the aforesaid vertical plane. In other words the .face'lt of the jaw 13 whichjis' juxtaposed with respect to the side of the can diverges from the top of thecan' downwardly in order to provide-a-space which receives the ordinary circumferential bead 15 which is located on the-can near its top. "The extremity-of the jaw 13 terminates in a laterally disposed finger 16'which in operative position=of the lifter seats beneath the bead 15 and thus trans- "mits-a lifting fo 'rce which acts in a direction to elevate the'can. In order that this lift- [ing force can not push'the jaw'13 awayffrom th'e'can there is a fulcrumelement in the form of a downwardly extending abutment 17' which is spaced from the face-14 of the jaw 13 "a sulficient distance to allowthe rim-18 of the can topass into the space between the two members. This abutment 17 is connected to an. angularlyfldisposed portion'2O of the lifter which-is interposed between the jaw 13 and a second angularly 'disposed section 21 which joins the handle 22=ofthe lifter.

' The spacing and angular relation of the jaw 13 and abutment 17 is such that when the lifter is placed upon the rim 18 the face 23 of the abutment 17 will bearagainst the inner face of the can as soon as any upward lifting force is applied to the handle 22 and at the same time the finger 16 will bite beneath the bead 15 to rigidly anchor the jaw and its associated parts tothe can. In' connection with this construction attention is directedto the fact that the two sections 20 and'21 play an important part in theproper opera tion of the lifter and the angle of one'with respect to the other-and with respect to the handle and jaw are such that the transmit- I gosandl remove such can tops.

1.45. is: in operative position.

ted force counteracts any tendency of the lift ed can to swing out of a vertical position and therefore each can can be lifted vertically without disturbing its center of gravity and bringing about an undesirable torque which makes it dilficult to hold the handle of the. lifter during the lifting or transporting movement. Thus it will be seen in order to carry out the foregoing tunctionsthat the jaw 13 is carried by a part which is oifset horizontally from the'handle 22 by-a -slight angle thereto and this latter part in turn is attached to the handle by the section 21 Which is disposed at an angle to .boththepart and the handle 22.

The end of the handle 22 is provided with .an offset finger 2 1 which isso shaped and ariranged'as-to, fit between-the bead 15 and the rim of the cover of the can sotthat-whenso placedit can be used as-.a hook by which the can cover 25 can .be-efiiectively loosenedand removed from the can. It'willof course be .znnderstood thatsince the cans contain .-a

[frozen product and. are enclosed in cabinets 5lhav1ng. a low temperature that the covers of the eansrfreeze tightly in placeianda-re very @diiiicultordinarily to remove. By? thepro- -visionof theiinger. 24L uponthe handley22 it becomes relatively an easy matter to loosen In connection with the face. 14 of the aw .13 it should be noted that this is shaped some- -whatconcave, as shown inFig. .3, in order "I that it may confornrgenerally tothe circularcontour of the outer face of the can with 1340allOIlZOIltillPlEHlGSG that when the can is; in

.-su spended position upon the lifter it cannot haveuany side .to side relative movement. This is important because it practically makes 1 the lifter an integral .part of the can when it :VVh-ilethe; finger 24: upon the handle 22 g primarily serves asa means for prying loose the tops of the cans itwill also beiappare'nt that the finger 16 of the jaw 15 can-serve the same purpose so that it makes no difierence which way the litter is taken up in so far as the prying-loose of the'top of the can is concerned. I

2. A can lifter comprising a straight handle portion, an extension from one end thereof and disposed at an obtuse angle to said handle portion, said extension having a portion directed laterally with respect thereto, a jaw at the end of said laterally directed portion and having a face disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of .i'neans connecting: said aw, abutment and "handle lna manner to maintain the center of ;;grav1ty of a can within its vertical arms when the can is engaged by said litter in a lifting operation.

v 4. A can litter comprising a handle, a aw, an abutment co-acting with said aw to grip the side of a can, a connecting part between said jaw, said abutment and said handle, said connecting part being disposed at an angle 2:

with respect tosaid jaw and said handle, and

said-abutment and aw having opposedfacer disposed 1n substantially converging relationship from the outer extremities of the jaw and abutment.

Signed at Philadelphia, county of Phila .delphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 28th day of April, 1980.

JAMES J. SMITH.

IHaving thus described my invention, .1

1 l claim ment carriedby said angledgextension and cooperating with the jaw to'grip the side of .a can, the angle of said extensionbeing such .with respect to said handle as to maintain the; center of gravity of a can in its vertical .axis(duringaclifting operation.

cal 

